Reel



June 9, 1931. M, @550 1,809,266

REEL

Original Filed Oct. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. CASTRO June 9, 1931.

REEL

Origina1.Filed Oct. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M a/zuel ('asim Serial No. 309,881;-

weight lifted) power to Patented June 9, 1 931 teases- M UB Q W rfie ueaeeio.

Original application filed October 2, 192s, s'riaiii 309,881. Divided and this applicationfiledNovember I 3.192s. I ser al no. 317,060. 7

inventionrelates to aircraft elements including reels particularly adapted for use in apparatus for 5 present invention is a-division of the subject matter set forth in my prior application for patent for cargo handlingapparatus for'aircraft' and the like, filed October-"2', 1928,

Such apparatus necessarily includes ele ments operatively mounted on ,theground, or on a ground structure, or ona ship, here. inaftertermedthe ground elements, for positioning the cargoto ibepickedxup andfor .15 receiving the cargo "to be discharged,-,and

also includes elements operatively" mounted on the aircraft, hereinafter termed the aircraft elements for cooperating with the ground elements .in picking up and d-is zo'char in car 0.

A fundamental requirement for the sue;- cessful operation of such apparatus, is to iin-; part to the cargo to be. picked up from rest, the required acceleration so'that it will attain the velocity or fiyingspe ed of the air.-

craft without reducing the flying speed ;-,of the aircraft to any considerableaextent.

Fore-Xample it. is'estimated thatfor an aircraft, of 2,000 pounds; gross load (total and with suiiicieiit excess climb force of approximately 97.5 '-lbs. 'at170 M. P. H. flying speed, for use in imparting to. the cargo beingpicked np from rest the necessary acceleration. so that it will. attain the desired veloclty. j

Under these clrcumstances the dlstance re:-

craftis asfollows:l Feet In other wordsfitis necessary'for the su'c- I cessful operatiou of such apparatusthat the picking up and discharge; mg. cargo fromhair'craft lniflight; and the 300 ft. /min., there is available sufficient excess thrustto I provide a" pickup means besecured toa cable which is permittedf'an extension of 843,615,505, 38.7,;or16.9 feet according tO-the load to be i picked'up, as aforesaid.

a; Accordingly the objects of the present in vention include the provision. of improved aircraft elements including an improved freel,-more particularly for; the. improved cargo handling apparatusfor aircraft and thelike of my aforesaidiprior application,

in which thelaircraftelements include pick up means, a cablefupon which the pick up means, are secured, 'and yielding means for permitting-the necessary extension of the cable for imparting the. aforesaid acceleration to thercarg o being picked up from rest.

[Further objectsof the present invention include .the provision of improved aircraft elements enabling improved cooperating action of the. aircraft elements and the ground elements. a i I Furth'er 'ob ects of the invention include the provision n the lmprovedreel 'of a novel safetyconnectionbetween the cablea'nd the reel, whereby if the pick up means become caught in an nnmovableor heavy object, the

cable will be released from the reel when the force on: the cable thus exerted becomes greater than a predetermined amount.

Theseand ancillary objects are attained in the improved aircraft elements for aircraft cargo handlingapparatus andthe like comprising the present invention, a preferred embodimentof which is hereinafter set forth in detail, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in wlnch Figure l is a fragmentaryfront elevation illustrating the improved aircraft elements in use with aircraft-cargohandling apparatus,

and ready forautomatic operationat night for discharging a cargo and picking up "an-: other cargo; r

Fig. 2, a fragmentary side elevation-thereof illustratingthe improved aircraftlelements in use'with'the aircraft cargo handling-apparatus just after th'e'cargo has been discharged and received by the ground elements thenew cargohasbeen picked up by the "aircraft elements; 5 w e .j Fig.3, a fragmentary elevation view illus trating the improved aircraft elements of the apparatus, including the present improved reel, the cable,and the preferred improved combined automatically actuated p trated in section;

cargo pick up hook and discharging means,

the hookanddischarging means being illusimproved reel throughout the drawings.

The improved cargo handling apparatus includes the ground elements indicated gen: erally at in Figs. 1 and 2, and the aircraft elements indicated generally at 11 in all of the remaining figures of the drawings. The ground elements 10 are completely illustratedand described in my aforesaid prior application, and are here illustrated and described, sufliciently for the purpose of setting forth the preferred use of the im proved reel hereof and include a circulartrack 12 mounted on a suitable foundation on the ground, or on a ground structure, or on a ship,; and on which track are arranged to roll wheels 13 which are rotatably mounted on and support a base frame ll; whereby the baseframei 14 and the remaining ground elements may be rotated about a vertical axis forplacing the ground elements in the proper position with respect to the wind and the aircraft from which cargo is to be handled. The base frame 14 may be in the form of a cross, and may include axially and centrally intersecting panels 15 and 15 at the outer ends of each of which thewheels 13 are rotatably mounted.

Preferablyv at equal distances from and on opposite sides of the vertical axis, the base panel 15 has mounted thereon upwardly ex-. tending towers 16.

'A cargo receiving hopper 17 is preferably arranged between the towers 16.

Between opposite sides of the hopper 17 and the towers 16, upwardly extending telescopic masts 18 are mounted on the base panel 15, andthe vertical axes of the towers and themasts are preferably parallel and in the same plane. A tipping receptacle 19, into which cargo is discharged, is mounted for rotation be:

' tween the telescopic masts 18 about horizontal pivots 20 which are supported on the masts 18.

' Each telescopic mast 18, includes a lower tubular member 18a within which an upper extensible member 186 is slidably mounted. A pulley 21 isjournal'led at the top of each tower 16.

J .One end of a rope or cable 22 is secured to the extensible memberlSb within each tubu;

from the top of the tubular member 18a, over thepulley 21, and longitudinally through a tower 16, and about a direction changing pulley, not shown, at the base thereof, to a hoistin drum, not shown ournalled 1n the b 7 1 base panel 15, where the other end of each rope or cable 22 is secured to the drum; and

. the drum is adapted in a well known manner for reversely winding and unwinding the ropes or cables 22 thereabout, for simultaneously raising and lowering the extensible members 186.

At the insi e ac of the upp r en of a h extensible mast member 18?), a cargo position- .the guide hooks opening in a direction pcrpendicular to theplane of the masts from one side of such plane.

For night operation,-a beam search light 29 is mounted at the top of each extensible mast member 18?), and arranged to be rotated about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of the masts; whereby for night operation of the improved cargo handling apparatus the search lights 29 are adjusted so that their beams intersect on the vertical axis. of the ground elements midway between the masts, at a predetermined distance above the then horizontally extending connecting cable 28, so. that the pilot'of the oncoming aircraft may steer his craft by the intersection of the beams of the search lights.

A cable 30 is connected at its upper end with the tipping receptacle 19 and at its lower end with a suitable preferably automatic retrieving drum 31 for manually tipping the receptacle 19. V

For day-time operation, flag signals may be substituted for the search lights 29.

The tipping receptacle 19 preferably includes members forming a closed frame 35 which terminates in a chute 36.

A preferably wire spring fabric 37 is stretched entirely across the frame opening and secured to the frame members at the off side thereof; and a preferably'wire spring fabric 88 is stretched across thelower end of the frame opening and secured to the frame members at the on-side thereof, forming a pocket at 39 at the lower end of. the receptacle l9 intowhich cargo may drop and be delivered therein to the chute 36, and thence to the hopper 17.

The upper end of the on-side fabric 38 preferably extends free of the frame at 40 and the efr m p a dly t p c whe e it 'is secured atathe 'ends ofp'osts 41 provided at the on-side-of the mastsfor this purpose and also'for-the purpose of forming "support forofi-set bearing blocks 42 i'n'which there ceptacle pivots arei'preferably journalled.

As illustrated'in' Fig. 2, the tipping receptacle 19 is provided at its lower end 19a with a counterbalance 19b slidably' meunt ed on a screw 19c'extendingdownwairdly from the tippingreceptacle. i

Accord'ngly if a cargo strikes the upper end of the. receptacle "19, and-is'discharged thereon, the cargo bag Cwill either drop into the pocket 39 andi out through the present improved reel: suitably mounted in the aircraft fuselage not shown, and the preferred improvedcombined pick 113 hook and discharging means 51, releasab-y connected to eachother by a cable '52. &

The reel end of the cable has secured thereon a. releasing ,head 53 whichhas formed therein a neck groove- 54 The improved reel'50 includes a cylindric barrel 55 preferably providedat its ends with outwardly extending flanges56an'd 56,

and the flanges may be" the outer peripheral portions of end disks'57 and 57 for the reel I barrel, which are secured to the reel shaftv5 8 extending therethrou m; d "cOaXiaLW-ith he barrel; I v

i v At one side the outersurface of the reel barrel, an annular groove-59 is provided,

I and in which groove the releasing head'53 is arranged to lie, so that lugs'60 and 60" extending from the sides of the. groove 59. may fit in the neck grove 54 of the head53','for securing the} cable to thea'reel barrel during u normaloperation-of the reeL- If thecable 52 becomes entirely unwound from the reel barrel by reason of the fact that the pick up means hasv become hooked upon an immovable object, the head 53*Will become disengaged from thelugs'GO and 60, so that the aircraft will not loseflying speed andfal-lor be otherwise damaged by the jerk on the cable 52. V

The cable 52' is 'sufiicien ly long for b eing extended or payed out from thereel against a suitable unwinding reaction, in order that the aforesaid acceleration may be imparted to thecargo-being picked up. I i;

; The .outer end of the cable-52-passes a through suitable guide rollers 611 in the bot tomofJthe aircraft fuselage, and is manually removablyconnected with the combined pick up hook and discharging means 51, preferably-by means formedon the end of the cable 52, and which head fits in a side opening socket 63in a shank V Gextending from and normally secured to the pick up hook and discharging means. I

The'cable' is first passed with a slidingfit through an aperture 65 in a ferrule 66 and the fi aperturef65 communicates .atits outer endwith an enlarged outwardly'opening socket of an enlarged head :62

67"Wl1ilCl1 tightly but slidably 'fits. over the outer end of the shank 64-, thereby releasably I I retainingthe enlarged. cable end head 62 in the socket 63.

The shank 64 extends asiaforesaid' out 'wardlyand' co-axially with the longitudinal so I axis of .thepick up hook and discharging means 51,:which means includes a tubular connecting-head 68 which is tapered, at its outer end as at 69 so thatithe-outer surfaces of, the ferrule and the connecting head will merge with each other for-permitting the connecting cable of the cargoto be pickedup, to slide easily thereover.

The cylindric bodyof the outer endportion 70'of the connecting head 68 is interno ally threaded and an externally threaded re leasing jaw mounting? plug 71 is., screwed therein at a suitable longitudinal position. I

i, The jaw mounting plug is provided with athreaded central aperture 72 therein,fand in which-is screwed the threaded outeren'd 73 of'a setof tubular springjaws 75 whereby, depending on the; relative axial position of the tubular spring jaws, and the plug 71,

the end opening 76 o f the jaws may be varied, andthe gripping power of the jaws may be varied by screwing the threaded end of the jawsiin; the threaded'aperturejof the plug one Wayjor, the other. ;.-1 I 4 v The end of the shank 64 within the tubular connecting head 68 has formed therein a V "roove 7 7 thus providing an outer releasing head 7 8 which may be gripped by a'varied force as aforesaidby the spring jaws 75. p v Accordingly, these jaws may beadjusted so that if a force greater than250 pounds for example is applied upon the pick up hook and discharging means opposite to the pull ofthe cable 52, the shankfit will automatically'disconnect from the'pick up hookand discharging means, even though the cable has not beenentirely unwound. 5

The automatic releasingof the reel end of the cable asgaforesaid, and the automatic. releasing of the pick up hook and discharging means are essential for insuring that the aircraft will notlose flyingspeed regardless of what force thepick up-hook and dischargingmeans maybe subjected to.

The threadedend 79a of a mounting sleeve 7 9 is screwed into the connecting head 68, the other end of the sleeve I hook 79 is tapered at 80 and terminates in a reduced portion 81 in which a threaded connector 82. of a discharging tong mounting bracket 83is screwed.

A relatively short spring seat and .pise ton guide sleeve 84 is secured within the sleeve 79 adjacent the tapered end 80thereof and theinterior surface of the guide sleeve 84 forms a guide for a hook carrying piston 85 slidable therein.

' As .viewed in'Fig'. 3, the upper end of the sleeve7 9 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending notches 86 for permitting hook arms 87 to extend therethrough from the'piston 85, the several hook arms be: ing strengthened by sectoral webs 88 connect-, ing the sameoutside of the sleeve 79.

' The piston 85 is inserted within a compres-. sion spring 85a, one end of which reacts against the inner end of the guide sleeve '84, and the other end. of which reacts with adjacent ends of links 92 and 92, respec- V tively, and the upper ends of the links are pivotally connected each with one of the hook arms 87. i

The lower ends of the tong arms 91 and 91 below the pivotal mounting 90 are provided with laterally extending terminal hooks 93 and 93, which in the position illustrated in F 3, form a ring-likeclosure for the eye 94 of cable secured'to the cargo bag to be discharged.

Accordingly, when any of the hook arms 87 are moved downwardly, as viewed in F1g.'3,

the tongs willb'e actuated to separate the terminal hooks 93 and 93, thereby releasing the same fromthe eye 94.

v For insuring the discharge of the eye 94 from the terminal hooks, a spring pressed plunger 95 is mounted within the U opening of the mounting bracket 83.

The reelshaft 58 is journalled in a suitable reel mounting bracket 96, and the ends of the shaft extend outwardly therefrom, and a gear wheel 97 is secured at one end of the shaft 58 and arranged to be selectively engaged by a drive pinion 98 secured on a sliding stub shaft 99,'which is slidably and rotatably mounted in asuitable U extension 100 of the reel mounting-bracket 96, so that the driving pinion 98 may be engaged and disengaged with the gear wheel 97.

The outer end of the stub shaft 99 is pro vided with a removable drive crank 101.

A spring pressed pawl 102 is pivotally mounted on the reel bracket 96, for selective engagement with the gear Wheel 97 for permitting either ratcheting of the reel shaft when the crank 101 is rotated to reel-in the cable 52, or free rotation of the reel. For applying the necessary unwinding reaction to provide for the paying out of the ca ble 52 after hooking a cargo, a spring pressed brake shoe 103 is suitably mounted in the frame 96, and a lever pawl 104 is provided for selectively maintaining the brake shoe in or out of operative position.

An alarm bell 105 is mounted at the other side of the frame 96 and adapted to be rung by rotation of the shaft 58.

The improved cargo handling apparatus for aircraft thus described, is used for picking. up and discharging cargo by arranging the ground elements as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and by paying out the cable 52 from the aircraft in which the reel is carried, a suitable distance depending on the weight of the cargo C to be discharged, and which cargo is carried by the combined pick up hook and discharge means 51, the dis: charge terminal hooks 93' and 93, as aforesaid, passing through the eye 94 connected with the cargo 0 to be discharged.

In the day-time the pilot on the oncoming aircraft guides the aircraft by flying between flag signals at the proper height, the frame 14 having been rotated so that the aircraft will fly preferably into the wind between the flag signals.

In night-time operation, the pilot steers his course by the intersection of the beams of the search lights 29.

The cable '52 will first strike the cable 28 connecting'the cargos 27 to be picked up, and the reel cable 52 will be dragged over the transversely extending cargo connecting cable 28, until one of. the spoon ended hook arms 87 hooks against the transversely ex: tending cargo connecting cable 28; when the first action of the moving combined pick up hook and discharging means striking the stationary cargo connecting cable 28, will be to operate the tong arms 91 and'91 to discharge the cargo G into tipping receptacle 19, from which it is delivered into the hopper 17 either through the chute 36, or by rotation of the upper end of the tipping receptacle, depending upon the velocity with which the discharged cargo C strikes the upper end of the tipping receptacle 19. j

Simultaneously, the hook arm 87 will have caught the transversely extending cable 28 and due to the yielding resistance of the unwinding. reaction provided by the spring pressed brake shoe 103, the cable 52 will first be payed out until a velocity has been imparted to the picked up cargo equal to the velocity of the aircraft, the distance that the cable is required to be payed out, depending as aforesaid on the weight of the cargo to be picked up.

When the pickedeup cargo has attained the velocity of the moving aircraft, the pilot or other operator in the aircraft may turn the crank 101 to reel in the cable and bring the picked-up cargo within the aircraft, after which the cable may be reeled out for discharging and picking up other cargos.

The spring pressed brake shoe 103's preferably adjustably mounted in the frame 96, so that the pressure of the shoe 103 against the outwardly extending brake drum 106 v with which the barrel end 57 is preferably provided, may be'varied to provide any desired torque for resisting the unwinding of the reel barrel, so that cargos of different Weights maybe picked up.

For this purpose, the brake shoe 103 preferably includes a curved'face 107 for abutment against the brake drum 106, and the r brake shoe also includes a wedge facev 108 opf posite the curved face 107. V

A roller 109 1s rotatablymounted on the reel frame 96, the axis of the roller 109 being parallel with the reel barrel axis, so that the resisting torque applied by the brake shoe 103 to the reel barrel, depends on the relative force which wedges the brake shoe 103 be- I tween the roller 109 and the brake drum 106.

This force is supplied by the compression Y spring 110, andfthe loading of the spring may be varied by the screw lll which is mounted in the frame 96, and between the inner end 112'ofithe screw'and the opposite I interposed.

a head on the reel end of the cable, a neck a groove in the head,1and the head normally lying in the barrel groovef'and releasably seend 113 of the brakeshoe,

'I claim V A reel for airoraft cargo handling apparatus and the like, includnig a reel barrel, a cargo handling cable for being wound about the reel barrel, a groove formed in the barrel, a lug extending from a side of they groove,

cured therein by the lug extending into the neck groove; 7 g o p e In testimony that I claim the above, I have MANUEL the spring is CASTRO. a f 

